Until last year cowslips grew in profusion on a nearby road verge then last year the council cut the grass just after the flowers opened.  Previously they had left strips allowing the flowers to go to seed before the grass was mown.  This year the whole area was cut a couple of weeks ago before the cowslips emerged so no longer are there swathes of yellow apart from an isolated few flowers on the edge beside the wall.  With financial cutbacks it would have made sense to delay the grass cutting.   These cowslips in my garden are safe.